Knife sharpener



Feb. 23, 1932. E. w. CARPENTER KNIFE SHARPENER Filed Oct. 2, 1929 aims Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNHTFEZD STATES PATENT QFFICE EDWARD W. CARPENTER, OF FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. W.

CARPENTER MANUFACTURING COMIPANY, F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION OF CONNECTICUT KNIFE SHARIENER Application filed October 2, 1929. Serial No. 396,700.

This invention relates to a knife sharpener of the type including a pair of overlapped series of sharpening discs, and has for an object to provide a means for protecting the operators fingers when using the sharpener.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the novel arrangements, combinations and constructions set forth, disclosed and claimed in the annexed specification considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a side plan view thereof.

There is shown at a knife sharpener comprising two series 11 and 12 of sharpening discs, each series being supported on a rod or rivet 13. The sharpening discs are spaced from each other by means of small spacing washers 14, and the edges of the sharpening discs of each series overlap the edges of the discs of the other series as at 15 to provide the sharpening means for the knife edge 16 of an article to be sharpened.

The rods or rivets 13 are each secured in opposite side wall members 17 forming a support or casing which serve to hold the discs in proper overlapped relation. The ends of the rivets that pass through the side members are reduced in diameter to provide shoulders 13 to engage the inner surfaces of the side members and keep them properly spaced and the ends of the rivets are headed over, as shown, to rigidly connect them to the side members. These side wall members are each slot-ted or recessed at 18 in alignment with the overlapping sharpening means 15 of the discs, whereby to allow the knife edge iii to approach the sharpening means 15. The sharpener 10 may be held between the thumb and finger 20 and 20 of an operator grasping the side wall members 17. In the ordinary constructions with the usual form of side walls, it is very easy for the user of the device in gripping it to place his thumb or finger immediately under the space be tween the discs for the knife edge or directly in alignment with it, so that when the knife is placed in position and drawn across the discs, the thumb or finger or both will be cut. This is especially so when the user is careless or in a hurry. To prevent this, I have provided guards on the opposite sides of the notches in the side members. These may be formed in various ways but I prefer to bend or turn the edges of the recess 18 to project laterally outward as at 21, thereby preventing the fingers 20 from coming in contact with edge 16 and thus acting as finger guards and preventing injury to the fingers. A pair of lugs 22 projecting laterally from each side wall member 17 have openings 23 to receive fastening means as nails or screws to serve to secure the sharpener 10 to a wall or other supporting surface if it be desired to permanently affix the sharpener.

In operation, the knife 24: or other article to be sharpened is held in one hand of the operator and the sharpener 10 is ordinarily grasped between the thumb and first finger 20 and 20 of the other hand to steady it, and

the edge 16 is drawn repeatedly across the sharpening means 15 until the desired sharpness is attained. In so doing if there is no guard, there will be a natural tendency for thumb or finger 20 and 20 to slide along the members 17 until they are also in alignment with recess 18 and sharpening means 15 to thus expose them to injury from the edge 16, but due to the presence of the guards 21, the thumb and finger 20 and 20 are held safely away from this position and hence will not be injured by the edge 16, whether the sharpener be placed loosely on a supporting surface or affixed thereto by lugs 22. Even with these guards the operator can of course get his fin gers too close to the knife edge, but this position will necessitate gripping of the edges of the guards which will immediately warm him his fingers are too close and should be moved farther away before using the device.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is: A knife sharpener comprising a pair of series of overlapping sharpening discs, means for supporting said discs with their meeting edges in overlapping relation comprising a rod passing through each series, side memhere at the opposite ends of the series of discs supporting said rods, said side members being provided with upright slots in alignment With the overlapping portions of the discs,

5 and side edges of said slots being projected laterally outward from the side members to provide finger guards to keep a persons fingers gripping the sharpener laterally to one side of the slot.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD V. CARPENTER. 

